ConclusionRobert Wagner, NetFinancials president states that, “Established Atlanta restaurants were under significant sales volume pressure in Q1 2017. That pressure is not economic as evidenced by the fact Metro Atlanta unemployment dipped in March 2017 to an unprecedented 4.6%. Since March 2016 total Metro Atlanta jobs have grown by 103,100 according to the Georgia Department of Labor. Rather the pressure on established Atlanta restaurant sales is competitive. Carl Muth of FoodService Resource Associates LLC who tracks restaurant activity in Atlanta notes that 500+ new restaurants opened in Atlanta in 2016. Even though there has been robust growth in good paying jobs in Atlanta, there has also been substantial growth in the number of restaurants bidding for consumers’ dining-out dollars.

At the moment, Atlanta has not reached an equilibrium where solid, thoughtful restaurant operators can expect to grow their sales as we typically saw before 2016. Eventually job growth and restaurant unit growth will attain equilibrium. At that point restaurant comp sales growth will return. We just do not know when that equilibrium will reappear.”

​The Sample: The 118 non-franchise restaurants were drawn from the metro Atlanta market. Total survey sales volume was $81 million for Q1 2017. The survey includes restaurants in Atlanta’s fast-casual, casual and fine-dining segments opened at least 15 months.

​The Industry Fund calls on all Atlanta waiters and waitresses to participate in the first Waiters’ Race Atlanta on July 14, 2017 at 5:30 p.m. at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta.

The event will celebrate the excellence, dedication, hard work and discipline of the more than 230,000 food preparers and servers who work in the metro Atlanta restaurant industry and benefit The Giving Kitchen (TGK).

Historically, the Waiters’ Race takes place on Bastille Day in Paris to honor the profession. Waiters must walk as quickly as possible through the cobblestone streets of Paris holding a loaded tray without spilling the contents. Today, the “Course des Garçons de Café” is organized in more than 50 countries and attracts hundreds of thousands of people annually.

The Waiters’ Race Atlanta puts a Southern spin on the nearly 100-year-old Parisian event. Participants will walk with a server’s tray in one hand, toting a glass of water, a glass of wine and a split of champagne. After finishing the route, the liquid in their glasses will be measured and they will be expected to open and pour the split without spilling. Participants will be judged on speed, service and style. The winner will receive a round-trip ticket to Paris and a traveling trophy housed in their restaurant for the next 12 months. After the race, Le Bilboquet will host an after-party at center plaza, including live entertainment, outdoor bar, food stands, flower cart, Bocce courts and sidewalk retail activations. This event is free to the public.

The newest Fulton County Health Center and district offices are open for patient and client services. Fulton County's former flagship Aldredge Clinic is now operating as Fulton County Public Health at 10 Park Place. The new health center is located at 10 Park Place South, S.E. in Atlanta, GA 30303.

The newly renovated and technologically updated public health clinic continues to offer healthcare services in three separate but closely coordinated clinics. The three clinical areas are Sexual Health Services for sexually transmitted diseases, the Ryan White program for HIV medical services and Respiratory Health Services for Tuberculosis/TB prevention and treatment. All clinical areas are centrally located on the fifth floor of 10 Park Place. The clinic is open Monday through Friday starting at 8:00 a.m. Clients should call the clinic at 404-621-1211 to confirm clinic availability and to schedule their appointments.

The new clinic also features an expanded and enhanced pharmacy and a laboratory with $150,000 in state-of-the-art equipment to process STD, HIV and TB tests in a safer and more efficient environment. The updating of the names of clinic services coincides with the new location and highlights Fulton County's continued commitment to the health and wellbeing of the county's most vulnerable and under-served populations. On July 1, 2017, the Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness will transition into a new organizational structure to become the Fulton County Board of Health. The new Fulton County Board of Health will now be aligned with the Georgia Department of Public Health.

"In keeping with Fulton County's strategic priority that 'All People Are Healthy,' our new clinic provides clients with a more comfortable experience, featuring the latest in health technology" explains Fulton County District Health Director Kathleen Toomey M.D., M.P.H.

The American Health Care Act, H.R. 1628, passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. The vote was mostly along party lines, with the final tally being 217 -213 with 18 Republicans and all the Democrats voting against the measure.

“The National Restaurant Association is pleased to see progress made by the House on the American Health Care Act. This vote is an important first step in improving our health care system. We will continue to work with Congress on further legislative actions to fix ongoing issues with the employer mandate. The work to pass repeal of the 30-hour rule, streamline employer reporting requirements, and repeal the seasonal worker definition will still needs the attention of Congress to help alleviate the strain on employers in the restaurant industry.” – Cicely Simpson, Executive Vice President of Policy & Government, National Restaurant Association